flourless chocolate cake (kosher for passover!)

today i made my favorite cake of them all! from the king arthur flour website, with a few changes.

cake
1 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 to 2 teaspoons espresso powder (or just grind coffee on the espresso setting)
3 large eggs
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

glaze
1 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup heavy cream

topping
1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted in a 350°F oven for 10 minutes.

to make the cake: preheat the oven to 375°F. lightly grease an 8" round cake pan; cut a piece of parchment to fit, grease it, and lay it in the bottom of the pan. put the chocolate and butter in a microwave-safe bowl, and heat till the butter is melted and the chips are soft. 1 minute on high, stir, 30 seconds on high, stir, 30 seconds on high, stir. transfer the melted chocolate & butter to a mixing bowl. add the sugar, salt, and espresso powder. add the eggs, beating briefly until smooth. add the cocoa powder, and mix just to combine. spoon the batter into the prepared pan. bake the cake for 25 minutes; the top will have formed a thin crust. remove it from the oven, and cool it in the pan for 5 minutes. loosen the edges of the pan with a table knife, and turn it out onto a serving plate. the top will now be on the bottom, and the edges will crumble a bit. allow the cake to cool completely before glazing.

to prepare the glaze: combine the chocolate and cream in a microwave-safe bowl, and heat till the cream is very hot. (use the same method as above.) stir until the chocolate melts and the mixture is completely smooth. it will take a while; don't give up! spoon the glaze over the cake, spreading it to drip over the sides a bit. allow the glaze to set for several hours before serving the cake.

and with the extra ganaché, i made some chocolate‐dipped orange slices. seriously good.

sour cream noodle bake, roasted broccoli, bread, and garlic spread

sour cream noodle bake from the pioneer woman's blog; the recipe is here. delicious!!

matt's homemade bread:

we threw some garlic cloves wrapped tinfoil in the oven and roasted them for about an hour, then pureéd them with salt for an easy spread. roasted broccoli and sautéed yellow bell peppers tasted great on the side.

pear crisp with freshly whipped cream

core and cut 6 cups of pears, and toss with 1 tablespoon lemon juice. combine 1/3 cup granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, and 1 teaspoon cinnamon with a whisk. add to pear mixture and toss to coat. in a food processor, combine 1/3 cup flour, 1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/3 packed brown sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon salt; pulse 2 times or until combined. add 3 tablespoons of chilled butter cut into small pieces; pulse 6 times or until mixture resembles coarse meal. add 1/2 cup oats; pulse 2 times. sprinkle flour mixture evenly over pear mixture and bake at 375° for 40 minutes or until pears are tender and topping is golden brown. top with some freshly whipped cream.

chocolate dipped frozen banana bites

cut three bananas into ½ inch thick slices, place them on a plate, and put them in the freezer for an hour.

gather your favorite small toppings. i used my mini cuisinart to crush peanut butter cups, coconut, and toasted coconut.

heat 2 cups of your favoritechocolate chips with two tablespoons of canola oil in a small saucepan over low heat just until smooth. dip a banana slice in chocolate, coat it, and drop your dipped banana in your topping.

transfer back to the plate and put the back in the freezer. wah‐lah!